BooooooRava Realty

Warning:  During the month of October, Brava Realty transforms into BooooooRava Realty!  This blog will feature creepy and entertaining stories appropriate for the season, with as much real estate information tossed into the candy mix as possible.  Enjoy! 

Italian Benedictine Abbey For Sale

Here is a breathtaking example of medieval architecture for sale...a Benedictine abbey founded in 1031 overlooking Crete Senesi.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Even though prospective home buyers want the benefits of new, more efficient homes, they are unwilling to pay much more for a “green” home, according to a recent member survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The survey said that most buyers are willing to pay only an additional 2% for green features.  Specific references for green homes are regional, with the West reporting interest in water efficiency, and desire for recycled materials higher in the Northeast.  Overall, energy efficiency continues to be the primary factor driving the green building movement.

However, cost-effectiveness clearly drives buyer decisions. When you are remodelling, it's a good idea to upgrade to energy efficient appliances, use "green" paint and other building materials, but don't expect to see an increase in home prices just yet.  Green features will definitely make your home more marketable, but that might not necessarily translate into higher price per square foot.

Source:  RISMEDIA

It's a Foreclosure, But Is It A Bargain?

First-time homebuyers are nervous about "paying too much" for a home these days.  Foreclosures can sound like a good idea, but are they really a wise investment?

Study the average price for a home in the neighborhood of the foreclosure.  If the average price in the area is $200,000 and the foreclosure price is $150,000 it sounds like a bargain, right?  Maybe not.  Foreclosures have a reputation for being in terrible condition.  Many have been stripped of their copper wiring, light fixtures, cabinets, appliances, and plumbing fixtures.  Carpets can be terribly stained, pools unkempt, and windows broken.

A home isn't necessarily a bargain if you must immediately invest $50,000 in cash to return it to livable condition.  Plus, properties will not qualify for financing if they do not meet minimum living standards. 

If you truly want to look at a foreclosure, ask your REALTOR to also show you owner-occupied homes for sale in the neighborhood to compare condition and price and then decide if the foreclosure is the bargain you'd hoped for.

Clear Your Air with "Green" Paints

The EPA says that indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air.  The poor quality of indoor air is one of the top hazards to our health.  Paints and finishes are among the leading causes of contaminated indoor air.

In an article authored by Ricky Ellis of Safety First Home Inspections, Ellis states that compounds used in paints and other finishes release toxic emissions during the application process and for years afterward.  For this reason, low volatile organic compounds (VOC) are becoming popular choices for homeowners wanting to clear the air in their homes.

Another advantage to low VOC paints is that they cause less damage to groundwater, landfills, and the ozone.  Plus, cleanup requires only soap and water.  Several companies offer low or zero VOC paints, and popular retail outlets have their own lines. Try Benjamin Moore's Natura paints or Sherwin-Williams' Harmony interior latex.

City of Dallas September 22 Tax Foreclosure Sale

This link will take you to the Dallas City Tax Foreclsoure/Warrant Sale list of properties to be sold on September 22, 2009.  The link includes the rules for bidding, address and legal descriptions of the properties.

Here is an example of one of the properties (link will take you to photo from Google Maps): 132 W. Woodin

Pleasant Valley Sunday?

A few days ago, Rick Harrison wrote an insightful article about "cookie cutter" subdivisions (and the city ordinances that foster them) versus sustainable development:

Nobody likes the taste of “cookie cutter” development. In the forty years that I’ve been in the land planning industry, at meeting after meeting I hear planning commissioners and city council members complain about the same thing: That developers submit the same recipes to cook up bland subdivisions over and over.    Read the entire article here.

This reminds me of the Monkees song, "Pleasant Valley Sunday"

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Charcoal burning everywhere
Rows of houses that are all the same
And no one seems to care